Līlia Waikīkī’s Façade Mimics the Pattern of Ocean Waves on the Sand

Standing at 28 stories tall, Līlia Waikīkī is a mixed-use community developed by Brookfield Properties and designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz. Offering 401 apartments, 20% of which are affordable, the units range in size from 385-square-foot studios to 1,801-square-foot three-bedrooms. Residents have access to a pool and terrace, a fitness center, indoor lounges, and a co-working space.

Punched windows reflect the existing urban setting, while a glass volume breaks through the tower’s center allowing expansive views from inside. The project’s application explains, “The glass façade and a series of lanais ascend the tower in an undulating rhythm inspired by the patterns formed by ocean waves on sand.”

Interiors were designed by Jules Wilson Design Studio and landscaping by Brownlie & Lee. The project preserved an existing banyan tree as the center of a resident courtyard and reinvigorated Waikīkī’s only full-service grocery store on site. The high-rise’s podium incorporates 45,000 square feet of retail space across two levels and includes a triple-height lanai forming an oculus.

The site’s former marshland soil conditions presented the challenge of installing auger cast piles from the tower foundation, resulting in the piles topping out at roughly 188 feet below grade—touted as the deepest in the world.